Scientists say they may have finally solved the mystery of “handedness” and why some people have a dominant left or right hand. The answer to this long-standing mystery—which scientists have been trying to solve for ages—appears to have come completely by accident, too.
Based on research, it seems the main determining factor in whether you are left- or right-handed is a phenomenon known as chirality. Chirality is essentially chemical reactions that normally produce an equal mix of two forms, and yet, there are very distinctive patterns of chirality in all living organisms on Earth today.
But scientists never really understood why certain proteins and amino acids in your DNA and RNA could always string together to determine your handedness. Sure, several theories have been touted, but none were very widely accepted. At least until now. The answer to this mystery, the researchers say, is actually all down to how the molecules in your body move through the cell membranes.
And based on how these molecules move, your body may have a more dominant left or right hand. It’s an intriguing resolution that honestly seems a bit too easy to believe, but it does really seem to be the case, at least based on the evidence the researchers have highlighted so far.
The researchers gathered their findings on handedness and published them in the preprint server bioRxiv. Based on those findings, the team believes that the left-handed membranes may only allow left-handed molecules through, while right-handed individuals have right-handed membranes that only allow right-handed molecules through. However, some are still unsure about the origins of the chirality theories.
Whether or not these theories prove the most reliable explanation remains to be seen. But at least they bring researchers one step closer to figuring out this age-old mystery of why only some people are left-handed, and others aren’t.
